GB2389208A

GB2389208A - Raising an alert

Info

Publication number: GB2389208A
Application number: GB0306922A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Mee
Original assignee: CHILD SAFETY NETWORK Ltd
Current assignee: CHILD SAFETY NETWORK Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-31
Filing date: 2003-03-26
Publication date: 2003-12-03
Also published as: GB0306922D0

Abstract

A system for use when raising an alert regarding a missing child or similar comprises software which allows the responsible adult to save descriptive data and image files to some kind of portable media (such as CD, DVD, smart card etc) so that if the child goes missing the portable media may be inserted into a terminal and instructions on the media may decode the data stored thereon for viewing and cause the data to be distributed to a plurality of locations.

Description

Raising An Alert Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

5 The present invention relates to an apparatus to raise an alert. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method to raise an alert when a dependent person has become separated from their caretaker. 10 2. Description of the Related Art

Many common situations exist in which dependent persons are placed under the responsibility of a caretaker, for instance young children are under the responsibility of their parents or mincers. Similarly, many situations exists in which such dependent persons may become separated 15 from their respective caretaker, and give rise to an alert because said separated person is unable to rejoin their respective caretaker. Examples of such situations would for instance involve a single parent visiting a high density environment, such as a shopping mall, wherein said parent is distracted by an occurrence whilst her child is similarly distracted away from go said parent, and carefreely walks away, in effect becoming "lost".

Many systems are known to prevent such situations arising. Any of such systems, whether they involve low technology such as a harness-and leash combination or high technology such as failsafe radio wave-based transponders, have comparatively little success, having regard to the 25 frequency with which undesirable situations as described above happen compared to the uptake of such systems. Thus, there remains the problem for caretakers caught out in such situations to raise an alert based upon the

( most accurate description if the last dependent possible in the shortest

available time. Unfortunately, the accuracy of the required information is often unsatisfactory to achieve a fast recovery, either because said information is provided entirely subjectively, e.g. in terms of "approximate" 5 height, weight, facial features and so on, or because it is provided in a format which is not suitable for a fast distribution to multiple media broadcasting systems, e.g. a printed photograph.

What is therefore required is an apparatus for raising an alert to a situation in which a dependent person has become separated from their to respective caretaker, with providing descriptive information with the required degree of accuracy in a plurality of formats suitable for broadcasting to multiple media-broadcasting systems in the shortest possible time after becoming aware of said separation.

s Brief Summary of the Invention

According to an aspect of the present invention; there is provided an apparatus for raising an alert to a situation in which a dependent person has become separated from their respective caretaker, comprising storage means, memory means, audio, video and alphanumerical data input means 20 and output means and further comprising a removable data-carrying medium; wherein said storage means store instructions which configure said apparatus to perform the steps of receiving a data carrying medium from said responsible adult having encoded data thereon representing an image of said separated dependent; reading and decoding said encoded 25 data to generate a viewable image from said image data; and distributing said image to a plurality of locations around said facility.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided

( a method of raising an alert to a situation in which a dependent person has become separated from their respective caretaker, comprising the steps of receiving a data-carrying medium from said caretaker having encoded data thereon representing at least an image of said separated dependent; reading 5 and decoding said encoded data to generate a viewable representation of said image data and distributing said representation to a plurality of locations by means of multiple media- broadcasting systems.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium having computer readable to instructions executable by a computer and encoded data thereon representing an image of a dependent person separated from their caretaker, wherein said instructions configure said computer to raise an alert by performing the steps of reading and decoding said encoded data; generating a viewable image from said image data; and outputting said viewable image s to a plurality of locations.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system programmed to raise an alert, comprising memory means, processing means, output means and a removable data carrying medium having encoded data thereon representing an image of a 20 dependent person separated from their caretaker; wherein said data carrying medium stores instructions which program said computer to perform the steps of reading and decoding said encoded data by means of said processing means to said memory means in order to generate a viewable image from said image data; and outputting said image to a plurality of 25 locations by means of said output means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for encoding data including image data representing a

( dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a removable data carrying medium, said apparatus comprising memory means, respective image data and aiphanumerical data input means, processing means and output means; wherein said memory means store instructions which 5 configure said processing means to perform the steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumericai data and image data

by means of said respective image data and alphanumerical data input means; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said database

to with an encoder module; and writing said encoded description onto said

medium by means of said output means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there Is provided a method of encoding data including image data representing a dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a removable data-carrying medium, said method comprising the steps of generating a description of

said person comprising alphanumerical data and image data; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said database with an encoder module;

and writing said encoded description onto said medium.

20 According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions executable by a computer, wherein said instructions configure said computer to encode and write data representing an image of a dependent person onto a removable data-carrying medium by performing the 25 steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

data and image data; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said

( database with an encoder module; and writing said encoded description

onto said medium.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system programmed to encode data including image 5 data representing a dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a removable data-carrying medium, said computer system comprising memory means, respective image data and alphanumerical data input means, processing means and output means; wherein said memory means store instructions which program said computer system to perform the 10 steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

data and image data by means of said respective image data and alphanumerical data input means; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of

processing said database with an encoder module; and writing said s encoded description onto said medium by means of said output means.

Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a responsible person accompanying two dependents in a highdensity environment; 20 Figure 2 illustrates a networked environment, including processing systems sharing data over said network environment, such as user terminals, cell phones and servers, some of which are located within said high-density environment; Figure 3 shows a processing system configured to process and 25 encode input data representing at least an image of the dependents shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 details hardware components of a processing system of the

type illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, including a memory; Figure 5 summarises actions performed at a processing system illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 to input, encode and write data representing at least an image of the dependents shown in Figure 1 according to the present 5 invention; Figure 6 illustrates the contents of the memory shown in Figure 4, upon inputting data as shown in Figure 5, including an encoding module and a database; Figure 7 further summarises the step of configuring the processing to system of Figures 2 to 4 to process input data as shown in Figure 5; Figure 8 illustrates the contents of the temporary data structure shown in Figure 5, within which the user- inputted data shown in Figure 7 is to be stored, and including a default extended mark-up language (XML) script; Figure 9 shows an example of the default XML script shown in Figure 5 8 to be updated by means of the database shown in Figure 7 according to the encoding step shown in Fioure 5; Figure 10 further summarises the steps of inputting and processing data as shown in Figures 5 and 6 to update the database shown in Figure 7; Figure 11 is a diagrammatic representation of the data processing flow To according to the present invention, as summarised in Figures 5 to 10; Figure 12 illustrates the contents of the temporary data structure shown in Figures 5, 8 and 11 upon completing the data entry process shown in Figure 11; Figure 13 is a diagrammatic representation of the encoded data 2s writing flow according to the present invention, as summarised in Figure 5, including a removable data-carrying medium; Figure 14 shows alternative embodiments of the data-carrying

\ medium shown in Figure 13 and onto which the final encoded data shown in Figures 12 and 13 may be written according to the present invention; Figure 15 shows the responsible person shown Figure 1 having lost one dependent in the high-density environment of Figures 1 and 2; 5 Figure 16 shows the responsible person shown Figure 15 providing a security officer with the removable data-carrying medium shown in Figure 13, wherein said officer operates a processing system shown in Figure 2; Figure 17 details hardware components of the processing system shown in Figures 2 and 16, including a memory; to Figure 18 summarises actions performed at the processing system of Figure 17 to read, decode and display andIor broadcast data representing at least an image of the lost dependent first shown in Figure 1 according to the present invention; Figure 19 further summarises the step of configuring the processing system of Figure 17 to broadcast data as shown in Figure 18, including a step of constructing hypertext mark-up language (HTML) pages; Figure 20 illustrates the contents of the memory shown in Figure 17 upon decoding data as shown in Figures 18 and 19, including decoded descriptive data; so Figure 21 shows the decoded descriptive data shown in Figure 22 selectively broadcast within the networked environment shown in Figure 2 to raise an alert about the lost dependent first shown in Figure 1.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

s The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the previously identified drawings.

( Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a responsible person, or caretaker, visiting a high density environment with two accompanying dependent persons.

In the example, an internal representation of said high-density 5 environment is shown as a conventional shopping mall 101, having multiple retail outlets 102, 103 and/or points of particular interest 104, 105 located along alleyways, possibly spread over multiple floor levels 106, 107. In the example still, said responsible person is a parent 108 accompanying her two children 109, 110.

to In the event of either or both children 109, 110 becoming separated from their parent 108 during the visit, say child 109, and in the absence of any particular apparatus or device known from the prior art or of the

apparatus according to the present invention, conventional wisdom would have parent 108 first attempting to locate said separated child 109 and, if s unsuccessful after a period of time, then contacting the local security force for assistance. Parent 108 would then have to provide the name and describe the weight, height and physical attributes child 109, and the accuracy of such information would be fairly essential for achieving a fast recovery of child 109, 20 especially if a photograph is not carried at the time, for instance as a keepsake. Even if a photograph is carried and supplied to assist the description at the time, it would be printed material that would take time and

specialist equipment such as a scanner to digitise locally then broadcast to local, internal display systems. A further shortcoming of a conventional z photograph is the ephemeral nature thereof, whereby the lost child 109 pictured thereon may have outgrown his or her likelihood in the picture, for instance if the photograph carried as a keepsake is of child 109 as a toddler,

thus making said photograph useless to assist the description at the time.

Thus, in the event of child 109 becoming lost during the mall visit, it is most likely that an accurate description including a readily distributable

image of the child would not be obtained before an extended period of time, during which efforts to locate said child 109 would be based solely upon two types of information, some of which is accurate but ineffective for the task, such as the name of child 109, and most of which is subjective thus imprecise, such as the weight, height and physical attributes of child 109.

The present invention provides an apparatus for raising an alert to the to above situation in which child 109 has become separated from parent 108, which comprises encoding and writing the information required to provide an accurate description, including at least an image of child 109, onto a

removable data-carrying medium, then reading and decoding said information to generate at least a viewable image and distributing said image 15 to a plurality of locations around said facility 101.

According to the present invention, parent 108 should initially encode and write said information, including at least an image of child 109, onto said removable data-carrying medium, and this initial data-entry activity may be carried out at varying locations, which are preferably but not 20 necessarily network-connected. Similarly, the locations to which said intonation may have to be distributed if child 109 is lost may vary to a large extent, either in terms of physical locations or in terms of addressable locations. What is meant by addressable locations is locations connected by a network, and said information distribution preferably takes place across 25 said networked environment.

Figure 2

( Figure 2 illustrates an example of said networked environment, including said physical and addressable locations, some of which are located within mall 101.

A first networked location 201 is shown physically located within mall 5 101 and connected to the Intemet 202. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, location 201 is a self-contained, one-time-purchase booth configured with a processing system and input means with which parent 108 may encode and write the required information onto a removable data carrying medium, wherein said processing means and input means will be to described below in further detail. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, location 201 is a self-contained booth configured as above, but wherein parent 108 may encode and write an updated set of said required information onto said removable data carrying medium, for instance when child 109 has grown up to the extent that descriptive information is redundant. The operation of any of said booths may be coinbased, credit- or debit card transaction-based or even linked to retail loyalty card schemes wherein the benefits of the present invention are acquired as a reward. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that any type of transaction may 20 be considered to initiate the functionality of the invention embodied as said booth in the preferred embodiment.

A plurality of further networked locations are shown, which are all connected to the Internet 202 and, potentially, may send and receive data such as the information described in Figure 1, eg distribute said information, 25 to one another. As was the case with booth 201, it is processing systems physically located within said networked locations which are connected to the Internet 202. Such processing systems may thus include a network server

203 which may send and receive data to the processing system of said booth 201 across the Internet 202.

Similarly, private processing systems 204, 205 and 206 respectively represent privately owned domestic personal computers, at which caretakers 5 may encode and write information describing their dependent persons, including at least an image thereof, in a manner similar to parent 108 at booth 201. Further addressable locations include for instance another network server 207 processing data for the security force of mall 101 and, in a Jo preferred embodiment of the present invention, sending data input therein to an SMS, GPRS or G3 networked server 208, the function of which is to wirelessly broadcast said data to respectively WAR, GPRS or G3-compatible mobile telephone handsets 209, with which security offices within mall 101 are preferably equipped. Such handsets 209 are well known to the lay man 5 as capable of processing, wirelessly distributing and locally displaying image data. Other addressable locations to which said information and image may be sent may also include processing systems operated by official emergency services, such as processing system 210 operated by the police and, further, processing systems 211, 212 and 213 respectively located at a television 20 broadcasting facility, a radio broadcasting facility and a newspaper office, for the purpose of broadening the alerts if so required.

Thus, each of the physical locations described within the networked environment shown in Figure 2 includes at least one processing system, which is preferably but not necessarily connected to the Internet 202. Indeed, 25 although the network connectivity to the Internet 202 is not necessary to achieve the encoding and writing of the required information and image data onto the removable data carrying medium, it is desirable for the subsequent

( distribution of said information and image describing child 109 when required.

Figure 3 Figure 3 shows a processing system such as systems 201 and 203 to 5 206 with which to process input data representing at least an image of children 109, 110 to be subsequently encoded and written to the removable data carrying medium.

A generic programmable computer 300, such as a personal computer, is shown in Figure 3, the hardware components of which will be described to below in further detail. Said system 201 is connected to a plurality of devices with which to input said information data, including said image data, and with which to output said data when encoded, by means of writing said encoded data onto a removable data carrying medium.

Firstly, in order to write said encoded data, a removable medium writer 5 301 is required, the type of which will vary according to which type of removable data carrying medium is used. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said medium writer is a combination DVD-reader and CD rewriter and said removable medium is a credit card-shaped and credit card sized re-writable CD, but it will be readily understood by those skilled in the 20 art that the present description is not limited to optical removable medium

and that the present invention may be similarly implemented with using any other type of removable data carrying medium therein, various types of which will be further described below.

In order to write said information data onto said removable medium, 25 the programmable computer 300 is configured with a plurality of data input means specific to the type of data to be input, thus comprising alpha numerical data input means such as keyboard 303 and, optionally, a

directional input device to specify where to input said alpha numerical data such as a mouse 304. Similarly, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the programmable computer 300 is further configured with image data input means such as a digital camera 305 and, in an alternative 5 embodiment of the present invention, said programmable computer 300 is also configured with analogue input means such as a microphone 306.

Preferably, the programmable computer 300 is equipped with a video display unit 307, by means of which the user of said system 201, such as parent 108, may visualise the data input by means of input means 303 to 306 Jo and the accuracy thereof.

Figure 4 The components of computer system 201 are further detailed in Figure 4. The system includes a Pentium 4_ central processing unit (CPU) 15 401 which fetches and executes instructions and manipulates data via a system bus 402 providing connectivity with a larger main memory 403, DVDROM re-writer 301, ZIP_ drive 302 and other components which will be further detailed below. System bus 402 is, for instance, a crossbar switch or other such bus connectivity logic. CPU 401 is configured with a high-speed 20 cache 404 comprising between two hundred and fifty-six and five hundred and twelve kilobytes, which stores frequently-accessed instructions and data to reduce fetching operations from larger memory 403. Memory 403 comprises between two hundred and fifty-six megabytes and one gigabyte of dynamic randomly accessible memory and stores executable programs 25 which, along with data, are received via said bus 402 from a hard disk drive 405. Hard disc drive (HDD) 405 provides non-volatile bulk storage of instructions and data.

( A graphics card 406 receives graphics data from the CPU 401, along with graphics instructions. Said graphics accelerator 406 is preferably coupled to the CPU 401 by means of a direct port 407, such as the advanced graphics port (AGP) promulgated by the Intel Corporation, the bandwidth of which exceeds the bandwidth of bus 402. Preferably, the graphics card 406 includes substantial dedicated graphical processing capabilities, so that the CPU 401 is not burdened with computationally intensive tasks for which it is not optimised.

InpuUoutput interface 408 provides standard connectivity to to peripherals such as keyboard 303 and mouse 304. A Universal Serial Bus (OSB) 409 is provided as an alternative means of providing connectivity to peripherals such as keyboard 303, mouse 304 and digital camera 305, whereby said connectivity is improved with a faster bandwidth for user input data transfer. A Firewire_ interface may also be provided as an alternative means of providing connectivity to camera 305, whereby said connectivity is improved with a bandwidth for image data transfer yet faster than said USB 409.

Network card 410 provides connectivity to the internet 202 by processing a plurality of communication protocols. A sound card 411 is 20 provided which receives sound data from the CPU 401 over system bus 402 along with sound processing instructions, or analogue sound data from the microphone 306 to be digitised therein, in a manner similar to graphics card 406. Preferably, the sound card 411 includes substantial dedicated digital sound processing capabiities, so that the CPU 401 is not burdened 25 with computationally intensive tasks for which it is not optimised.

The equipment shown in Figure 4 constitutes an inexpensive programmable computer of fairly standard type, such as a programmable

computer known to those skilled in the art as an IBM_ PC compatible or an Appie_ Mac.

Figure 5 The operational steps according to which a responsible person may interact with a processing system shown in Figures 2 and 3, such as programmable computer 300, in order to encode data describing a dependent person according to the present invention are further detailed in Figure 5.

to At step 501, the programmable computer 300 is switched on, whereby all instructions and data sets necessary to process image data are loaded at step 502, including instructions according to the present invention to encode data describing a dependent person. Altematively, said instructions and data sets are loaded from a data-carrying medium inserted and read by DVD 5 ROM 301 _ or Zip_ Drive 302, or loaded from network server 203 over the Internet 202 at step 502, for instance if said instructions are not yet stored on Hard Disk Drive 405. Upon completing the loading operation of step 502, the processing of said instructions according to the present invention by CPU 401 starts at step 503, whereby a temporary data-storing structure is first 20 generated in said HOD 405, such that CPU 401 may then process input data according to said instructions from step 504 onwards and store said processed input data in said temporary data structure for encoding upon eventually completing said data entry.

Data describing any dependent should preferably be input by the 2s person responsible for said dependent and thus data describing said responsible person is preferably first input at step 505, in order to ensure the integrity and the accuracy of the dependent person's data, either when it is

1 r input or retrieved according to the present invention. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, however, the removable data-carrying medium configured according to the present invention contains data describing only said dependent person, whereby each dependent person of a 5 group such as a family requires a respective removable data-carrying medium. Upon completing said step 505, the data required to describe and/or represent the first dependent, e.g. child 109, is input at the next step 506, including at least an image of child 109. At step 507, a question is asked as to to whether data required to describe and/or represent another dependent should be input, e.g. data required to describe and/or represent the second child 110.

If the question of step 507 is answered positively, control is resumed to step 506 such that said data can be inputted. Altematively, if the question s asked at step 507 is answered negatively, then the data entry steps are complete and the data inputted according to steps 505 to 507 and processed according to the rules started at step 504 may now be encoded at step 508 and subsequently written to a data-carrying medium at step 509 according to the present invention.

20 Upon completing the writing step 509, the temporary data structure generated at step 503 is re-initialised at step 510, whereby all of the data input and processed between steps 504 and 509 is irretrievably deleted from said structure. At step 511, a question is asked as to whether a new session should be started, whereby if this question answered positively, control 2s should be returned to step 504 such that a fresh set of input data describing the same or a different responsible person and the same or different dependent persons may be processed, encoded and written according to the

( present invention.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the question of step 511 is answered positively, said person responsible for saiddependent may update said data required to describe and/or represent any 5 of said dependent, for instance the image of child 103 input at the step 506, by means DVD-rewriter device 301 rewriting said updated image onto said re-writable, removable data carrying medium.

In a specific embodiment of the present invention within which the apparatus described in Figure 3 is configured as said self-contained, one lo time-purchase coin-operated booth shown in Figure 2, an initial financial transaction, such as the depositing of a requisite sum in a coin-slot, may for instance provide a positive answer to question 511.

Alternatively, the question of step 511 is answered negatively, whereby the operator of programmable computer 300 is at liberty to stop the 1s processing of the instructions according to the present invention at step 512 and, eventually, switch programmable computer 300 off at step 513.

Figure 6 The contents of main memory 403 subsequently to the starting of the 20 input data processing step 504 shown in Figure 5 are further detailed in Figure 6.

An operating system is shown at 601 which comprises a reduced set of instructions for CPU 401, the purpose of which is to provide programmable computer 300 with basic functionality. Examples of basic functions include for 25 instance access to files stored on hard disk drive 405 or accessed from DVD/CD ROM drive 301 or ZIP drive 302 and management thereof, network connectivity with network server 203, the Intemet 202 and camera 305,

( interpretation and processing of the input from keyboard 303 and mouse 304.

In the example, the operating system is Windows XP_ provided by the Microsoft corporation of Redmond, California, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the instructions according to the present invention may 5 be easily adapted to function under different other known operating systems, such as other versions of the Windows operating system, MAC OS-X_ provided by Apple Corporation, IRtX_ provided by Silicon Graphics Inc. or LINUX, which is freely distributed An intemet browser application is shown at 602, which processes both to hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and extended mark-up language (XML) -coded data packets or other intemet-specific formatted data into graphical data for display on VDU 307. A digital video capture application is shown at 603 which processes digital video image data generated by camera 305 and accessed at USB interface 409 into graphical data for display on VDU 307 5 and processing by the instructions according to the present invention. A data carrying medium writing application is shown at 604 which processes final encoded input data into specific medium-formatted binary data and manages transfer of said data between the hard disc drive 405 and/or the memory 403, and the removable data-carrying medium when inserted in the CDwriting 20 device 301.

Said instructions are shown as application 605, which configures the CPU 401 to process input data according to steps 504 to 511. Corresponding application data is shown which comprises various sets of userindependent data and user-dependent data, to be subsequently encoded and written to a z removable data-carrying medium at steps 508 and 509 respectively. Said encoding step 508 requires an encoding module 606, the function of which is to translate a database storing filid-indexed strings of alphanumerical values,

! such as ASCII characters input by means of keyboard 303, into a processable XML or Java script.

Said database is shown at 607 and constitutes said user-independent data. Said database is described as user-independent insofar as it is a non modifiable database template, which may only receive and index input data as said strings of alphanumerical values, such as said ASCII characters input by means of keyboard 303.

Conversely, said user-dependent data comprises said strings of alphanumerical values, shown as text input data at 608. In the preferred to embodiment of the present invention, said userependent data also comprises non-alphanumerical data such as photographs 609 obtained via digital camera 305 and digitised by application 603, whereby said digitising is preferably carried out at varying high and low resolutions and stored as JPEG-forrnatted files. According to another preferred embodiment of the 5 present invention, said user-dependent data also comprises sequences of such photographs constituting videoclips 610, also obtained via digital camera 305 and digitised by application 603 and preferably stored as MPEG1-formatted files. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, said user-dependent data also comprises sound 20 samples as voice files 611 obtained via microphone 306 and digitised by soundcard 411 and preferably stored as WAV-forrnatted or MP3-formatted files. Figure 7 z5 The step 504 of configuring the programmable computer 300 to process input data is further described in Figure 6. In effect, said step 504 comprises enunciating a set of conditional rules and corresponding

processing decisions for CPU 401 to follow in order to accurately process input data according to which type of data is input. Said conditional rules and processing decisions are shown as steps which are interactively processed by CPU 401 in a never-ending loop known to those skilled in the art as a thread. According to the present invention, said thread is processed concurrently with any other applications processed by said CPU 401 until all of the required information data including at least one image, has been processed. A first question is asked at step 601, as to whether an event triggered to by the user of programmable computer 300 interacting with key board 303 or mouse 304, for instance parent 108 pressing a key or clicking a mouse button, specifies that the application according to the present invention and loaded at step 502 should now process image data 609. If the question of step 701 is answered positively, the instructions 605 configure CPU 401 to process the capture application 604 shown as 'twain 32" thus capture image data by means of digital camera 305, whereby said image data is stored in memory 403 as an image file and application 605 generates a reference in database 607 uniquely identifying said file.

Altematively, if the question of step 701 is answered negatively, 20 control is forwarded to the next question 703, asking this time whether the event triggered by the user identifies input data as a video clip. If the question asked at step 703 is answered positively, application 605 performs in the same calls and functions as described in relation 702, but additionally configures the capture application 604 to capture image data as a sequence 25 of successive image frames, as opposed to the single image frame captured at said step 702. Thus, said input sequence 610is similarly stored in memory 403 as a file, which is uniquely referenced within database 607 by application

( 605. Altematively, the question of step 703 is answered negatively, whereby control is forwarded to the next question 705, asking whether the triggered event identifies input data as a sound sample. If the question of step 705 is answered positively, application 605 configures CPU 401 to call for soundcard 411 to digitise the analogue sound sample input by means of microphone 306, shown as "sound rec". As was previously the case for image data 609, 610, said digitised sample 611 is stored in memory 403 as a sound file and, again, uniquely referenced within database 607 by application to 605. Alternatively, if the question of step 705 is answered negatively and control is forwarded to the next question 707, asking whether the triggered event identifies a condition requiring application 605 to erase any data so far input. If question 707 is answered positively, application 605 initialises 5 database 607, whereby all of the data 608 to 611 so far input is deleted from memory 403 and the user of programmable computer 300 may start inputting information data afresh.

Altematively, the question of step 707 is answered negatively, whereby control is directed to the penultimate question 809, asking whether So the triggered event identifies a condition for application 605 to end processing information data relating to a first person and start processing input data relating to a next person. Thus, if the question of 809 is answered positively, application 605 configures CPU 401 to carry out the processing step 506.

Altematively, the question of step 709 is answered negatively, whereby the s control is forwarded to the last question 711, asking whether the triggered event signals to application 605 that all of the required information data has been input.

If the question of step 711 is answered positively, application 605 configures CPU 401 to start encoding input data 607 to 611 according to processing step 508. Alternatively, if the question of step 711 is answered negatively, whereby control is resumed to the first question 701 and so on and so forth until such time as question 811 is answered positively.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the sound digitising and storing step 706 is jointly processed with the frame sequence capturing step 704 when answering question 703 positively, the respective image data and sound data of which are multiplexed by encoder 606 at step to 508 in order to generate a video clip with sound, for instance conforming to the MPEG1 or AVI file formats, which are well known to those skilled in the art. Figure 8 s The input data 608 to 611 sown in Figure 6 is processed according to the Input data processing rules of step 504 further described in Figure 7 and temporarily stored in volatile memory 403 until application 605 is instructed to encode said input data at step 508, whereby said input data is moved from memory 403 to the temporary data structure generated in hard disk drive 405 20 at step 503. Said temporary data structure is illustrated in Figure 8, within which the user inputted data shown in Figures 5 to 7 are to be stored.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the temporary data structure is generated as a file folder "tamp" 801 depending directly from the root drive designation 802. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in z the art that the denomination of temporary file folder 801 is unimportant, i.e. said file older 801 may be called "CSN" to readily identify data and/or instructions relevant to the instructions 605 of the invention assigned to the

( Applicant, Child Safety Network Limited.

The temporary data structure 801 comprises further said sub directories configured to respectively store varying data types. For instance, a first sub-directory "media" 803 preferably groups input data 609, 610 and 611, eg photographs, frame sequences and sound samples respectively.

Another sub-directory "HTML" 804 groups all the data files which, when processed by CPU 401 configured by browser 602, generates standard HTML pages viewabie within the graphical user interface of said browser on VDU 307, wherein said HTML pages are colloquially known as "web" pages.

to The temporary data structure, or main directory 801 also comprises a default XML script 805, which will be described in further detail below.

Crucially, said default script 805 is encoded by means of the encoder 606 encoding database 607 therein according to the present invention such that, when said script 805 is decoded and processed by a browser-type application 602, said default web pages stored in sub-directory 804 are updated with both the alphanumerical data initially input in said database 607 and also the various non-alphanumerical data stored in subdirectory 803 and ' referenced therein, still in accordance with the present invention. i In effect, the temporary data structure 801 is generated at step 503 as 20 a self contained and self executing application which is simply requiring i information data including at least one image and, as such, said temporary directory is also generated with including instruction sets. A first "autorun" I instruction set 806 is generated within directory 801, which is well known to those in the art and the function of which is to configure the central ?5 processing unit of any processing system reading the removable data carrying medium written according to the present invention to process the data carried thereon regardless of the user of such a system effecting such a i

( processing operation. Consequently, a second "constructor" instruction set 807 is generated within director 801, the function of which is to create a permanent data structure on the non-volatile storage means of said host processing system in a manner similar to the generation of directory 801 in programmable computer 300 and extracts all of the contents of said data carrying medium in their respective data structures 803, 804 and 805, with invoking a decoder module 808 to decode and regenerate the XML script 805 updated by database 607 before it was initially written onto said data carrying medium. For this purpose, said third "decoder" instruction set 808 is to also generated within directory 801 at said step 503.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, although most operating systems 601 feature a basic multi-media processing capability, ie the capacity to process image data 609 for display, further formatspecific instruction sets 809, 810 and 811 are generated within directory 801 to configure the central processing units 401 of said eventual host processing system to respectively process image data 609, frame sequences 610 and sound samples 611 when they are loaded from said data carrying medium.

In the example, child 109 becomes lost in a mall in his own country, but if said child 109 was becoming lost whilst the family holidays in a foreign 20 country, it is preferable for the contents of said data carrying medium to be generated in their respective data structures 803' 804 and 805 in the language of said foreign country. Thus, in yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an interpreter instruction set (not shown) is similarly generated, the sole purpose of which is to interrogate the language setting of 25 the operating system 601 of the host processing system in order to configure decoder module 808 to decode and regenerate the XML script 805 in the local language.

( Figure 9 The default XML script 805 shown in Figure 8 to be updated by means of encoding the database 607 shown in Figure 6 according to the present I invention is described in further detail in Figure 9. For the purpose of clarity, said script 805 is shown as uncompiled, edited pseudo XML code.

The extensible market language (XML) is used in this description of

the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but it is known to those skilled in the art that XML defines an extremely simple dialect of the standard to generalized market language (SGML), the international standard (ISO 8879:1985) for defining descriptions of the structure of different types of

electronic documents. It is widely acknowledged that XML is a lightweight, cut-down version of SGML, which keeps enough of its functionality to make it useful because it can be used to store any kind of structured information and to enclose or encapsulate information in order to pass it between differing computer systems, which would otherwise be unable to communicate. As such it will be understood that most other variations of mark-up languages ' and even programming languages, such as C++, may be used to achieve the i benefits of the present invention.

20 Generally, XML documents are made up of storage units called i entities, which contain either parsed or unparsed data. Parsed data is made up of characters, some of which form the character data in the document and I some of which form mark-up. Mark-up encodes a description of the

documents storage layout and logical structure. XML provides a mechanism z5 to impose constraints on the storage layout and logical structure. i A software module called an XML processor is used to read XML documents and to provide access to their content and structure. It is i

( assumed that an XML processor is doing its work on behalf of another module, called the application. This specification describes the required

behaviour of an XML processor in terms of how must read XML data and the information it must provide to the application.

The pseudo XML code 901 is shown configured with a structure 902 simplifying the compartmenting of the information data input in respect of each person to be described on said removable media. It was previously explained that said input information data comprises a mix of alphanumerical (608), image (609, 610) and aural (611) data, wherein said alphanumerical to data 608 is stored in database 607 and unique references to said image and aural data 609 to 611 are similarly stored in said database 607.

It is therefore preferred that the successive entitles 902 containing parsed data 903, reflects the field structure of said database 607. In

accordance with the XML general description thereabove, said parsed data

5 903 thus includes characters, some of which form the character data 904 in the eventual HTML document and some of which form mark-up 905.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said character data 904 is input by the user of programmable computer 300 as either said alphanumerical data 608 or generated by application 605 to so uniquely reference a media file, as shown at 906.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the data describing the caretaker such as parent 108 and her contact details as well as an image are first input. Input data describing a first dependent, structurally shown at 902, is then input according to step 506 and preferably 25 in further detail as shown at 907 as well as a plurality of images as shown at 908. If the question of step 507 is answered positively, data describing yet another dependent, such as child 110 structurally shown at 909 is again input

/ by parent 108, with being structured when encoded from database 607 into XML script 805 similarly to parsed data 903 to 908, and so on and so forth until all dependents and/or caretakers thereof have been so described, such that the initial structural entity "family" 901 is terminated at 910.

Figure 10 The steps 505 and 506 of inputting and processing data shown in Figure 6 to update the default XML scripts 805 further described in Figure 9 are detailed in Figure 10.

to As previously explained that step 504 according to the present invention configures CPU 401 to process input data according to a set of conditional rules which were detailed in Figure 7. Thus, any interaction by the user of programmable computer 300 further to sets step 504 is interpreted by said processing system according to sets of conditional rules, whereby when the caretaker begins the data inputting process according to step 505, application 605 first identifies the field of database 607 which said user has

selected by means of interacting with keyboard 303 or pointing device 304 at step 1001 such that alphanumerical values 608 may be read from said keyboard 303 at step 1002 as the database field update, or value, which mat

so thus subsequently be stored therein at step 1003.

A question is then asked at step 1004, as to whether the user or, in the example, parent 108, has interacted with either keyboard 303 or pointing device 304 and said interaction produces input data different from unexpected alphanumerical value 608, for instance a numerical value in a z field at which, by definition should only contain letters, such as a family name.

If the question of step 1004 is answered negatively, control is resumed to step 1002, whereby the next keystroke is read and stored in the field identified i

( according to step 1001 and so on and so forth. Altematively, the question of step 1004 is answered positively and a second question is asked at step 1005 as to whether said non-alphanumerical input data identifies another database field, for instance if all of said fields are presented to parent 108 on

VDU 307 and said parent clicks each subsequent field for data input upon

updating each previous one.

Thus, if the question of step 1005 is answered positively, control is resumed to step 1001, whereby said field-identifying data input is processed

in order to identify said selected field. Altematively, the question of step 1005

to is answered negatively, whereby said input data is processed according to the conditional rules enunciated at step 504 and is treated as identifying an event as opposed to a database field to be processed according to any of

processing steps 702, 704, 706, 708, 710 or 712.

Figure 11 The data processing flow according to the present invention is diagrammatically represented in Figure 11, wherein the input data read and stored according to the processing steps shown in Figures 5, 7 and 10 is moved to the temporary data structure 805 described in Figures 8 and 9, 20 including the step of encoding the database 607 into said default XML script 805. The temporary directory 801 is thus shown with all of its default contents 80Z to 811, including the default XML script 805 having XML code 901 to 910 but within which character data 904 has yet to be encoded. In the 25 example, parent 108 wishes to configure a removable data carrying medium according to the present invention by writing encoded data thereon describing her children 109 and 110, including at least an image of each

! 2g child. In accordance with the description of the present embodiment, parent

108 first inputs alphanumerical data 608 by means of keyboard 303, having identified respective database fields 1101 and 1102 by means of mouse 304.

Upon completing the inputting of alphanumerical data 608, parent 108 5 interacts with mouse 304 to generate an event triggering processing step 702, whereby digital camera 305 captures an image 609 of parent 108, a unique alphanumencal identifier of which is generated by application 605 in database field 1103.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention described 10 herein above, parent 108 further interacts with mouse 304 to generate an event triggering processing step 706, whereby parent 108 provides an analogue voice sample through microphone 306 which is digitised and consequently stored as a sound sample 611, a unique alphanumerical identifier of which is generated by application 605 in database field 11045.

5 Parent 108 may subsequently input description data for each of her children

109, 110 in a similar manner and in accordance with the present description

until her interaction with mouse 304 identifies an event triggering processing step 712, thus triggering the encoding of said input data according to step 508. Said encoding step comprises application 605 invoking encoder 606 to 20 process all of the alphanumerical values stored in database fields such as

field 1101 to 1104 into XML character data 904 to a date the full XML script

805 at respective positions. Thus, in the example, the unique alphanumerical reference "ABC.JPG" of the image data 609 representing parent 108 and stored in database field 1103 is encoded by encoder 606 into XML character

25 data 906, and so on and so forth.

According to the present invention, application 605 writes all of the media-type data 609 to 611 to the media sub-directory 803 of main

( temporary directory 801 whilst encoder 606 encodes alphanumerical data.

Thus, in the example, said image data 609 is moved from memory 403 to said directory 803 on hard disk drive 405, as is the sound sample 611.

The above data processing flow is carried out until all of the data input 5 by parent 108 has been respectively encoded and stored in said temporary directory 801.

Figure 12 The contents of said temporary main directory 801 shown in Figures 5, 10 8 and 11 are illustrated in Figure 12 upon completing said data processing flow. The file folder"temp" 801 is shown and stores the first sub-directory "media" 803, wherein media input data is stored. In the example, said media input data includes a photograph 1021 of parent 108, a set 1202 of high, low and medium-resolution photographs of child 109 and a set 1203 of high, low and medium-resolution photographs of child 110. In the example still, said media input data further includes a voice file 611 of parent 108, a video clip 1204 of child 109 and a video clip 1205 of child 110.

The file folder"temp" 801 is also shown as storing the second sub 20 director "HTML" 804, wherein the data files to be processed by CPU 401 configured by a browser application to generate standard HTML pages, respectively define HTML templates within which the above media input data stored in directory 803 and the alphanumerical input data 607, 608 encoded in XML script 805 are will be inserted upon decoding said script 805.

2s In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said HTML templates include a first, front page 1206 configured by script 805 to display at least one image at 1207, such as for instance photograph 1201, whereby

( upon viewing said page 1206 generated by said browser application at any processing system 201 to 213, a user may readily verify the identity of the caretaker, e.g. parent 108.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, said first, front page 1206 is configured by script 805 to display an image of the caretaker at 1207, such as for instance photograph 1201, as well as at least one image of each dependent, for instance a medium-resolution photographs of children 109, 110 respectively at 1208 and 1209, whereby upon viewing said page 1206 generated by said browser application at any processing system 201 to to 213, a user may readily verify the identity of the caretaker and instantly identify which dependent is lost from its respective photograph.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention still, said HTML templates also include a plurality of pages 1210 to 1213 specifically configured to raise an alert about the dependent identified by means of their s respective photograph. Thus, a second page 1210 is configured by script 805 as a 'missing' poster to be printed, featuring at least one image, preferably a high-resolution photograph from the sets 1202 or 1203 depending upon which child is lost, as well as a portion of the child's respective alphanumerical input data, such as a name, surname and date of birth. A So third page 1211 is configured by script 805 as an alternative 'missing' poster to be printed, again featuring at least one image, preferably a medium resolution photograph from the sets 1202 or 1203 depending upon which child is lost, as well as all of the child's respective alphanumerical input data.

Other function-specific pages may be included, such as a fourth page :s 1212 configured by script 805 as the above 'missing' poster 1211, thus including all details, to be distributed to emergency services within the networked environment described in Figure 2, such as the police. Preferably,

( a fifth page 1213 is included and configured by script 805 as the above missing' poster 1212, thus including all details but also including media data 611 and 1204, 1205, to be distributed to media broadcasting companies within the networked environment described in Figure 2, such as television 5 stations, radio stations and newspaper offices.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many other types of HTML templates or, indeed, alternative processable formats to HTML may be used according to the present invention and that the present description is not limited thereto.

Figure 13 Much in the same way as Figure 11 diagrammatically represent the data processing flow for inputting and decoding data according to the present invention, a diagrammatic representation of the encoded datawriting flow 15 onto a removable data carrying medium is provided in Figure 13.

Upon completing the step 508 of encoding the data input by parent 108 whereby application 605 has completed updating the contents of temporary data structure 801 in HOD 405 shown in further detail in Figure 12 according to the data processing flow summarised in Figure 11 and 20 schematically shown as 1301, application 605 next calls for media writing application 603 to configure CPU 401 for writing said updated directory 801 including the encoded data to a removable data carrying medium 1302 according to step 509 by means of media writer 301.

Writing data onto removable data carrying media is well know to those z skilled in the art, regardless of whether said data is stored on bulk storage devices such as HDD 405 or temporarily stored in volatile memory, such as memory 403. Thus, in accordance with known media writing principles, said

t media writing application 603 first fetches (1303) all of the data 801 to be written onto said removable medium back into memory 403, wherein said data is processed by CPU 401 into specific medium-formatted binary data and, when so processed, is then physically written (1304) onto medium 1302.

5 Upon completing said writing operation 509, 1304, the medium 1302 may be removed from medium writer 301 and subsequently carried by parent 108 with having written thereon encoded data 901 to 911 representing, amongst other descriptive data, an image of her dependent children 109, 110.

10 Figure 14 In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said removable data carrying medium 1302 is a credit card-sized and-shaped compact disc but it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many other types of removable data carrying media may store encoded data according to the 15 present invention. Accordingly, alternative embodiments of the data carrying medium 1302 are shown in Figure 14, onto which the final encoded data 801 may be written.

The credit card-type CD medium is here preferred because it offers an advantageous compromise between data storage capacity and medium size.

20 Indeed the medium 1302 of the preferred embodiment may easily be stored in a wallet as a business card or a credit card and thus is much more likely to be carried by the caretaker, eg parent 108, at the time of either of her dependent children 109, 110 becoming lost. Said medium 1302 is also known as a "CD card" or more colloquially as a "saddle card" and is an s optical-based data storage device having a storage capacity comprised between twenty five and one hundred and twenty five megabytes.

In a first alternative embodiment of the present invention, a mini-CD-R

1401 is used, having a standard storage capacity of one hundred and eighty five megabytes. Such a medium would be particularly suited in situations where caretakers require fairly exhaustive information, including lengthy video clips 610, for many dependent persons' eg a number of dependent 5 persons exceeding ten. Medium 1401 is however much less practical an item to carry in purses or wallets on a regular basis.

In a second alternative embodiment of the present invention, the final encoded data is written to high speed, solid state memory card NAND-based flash memory technology in conjunction with ATA controller chip set. This to type of removable data carrying medium is not optical like media 1302 and 1401 but it emulates a bulk storage device such as HOD 405, thus providing the capability to easily capture, retain and transport data including audio and image data. Various types of memory cards 1402 are known to those skilled in the art and briefly comprise ATA flash memory PC cards, compactflash memory cards, smartmedia memory cards and SCAM memory cards.

Memory cards of this type feature a storage capacity comparable to CD card 130Z. Advantageously, data such as final encoded data 801 written thereto may be accessed and updated repeatedly on memory cards 1402, whilst said data written to media 1302 or 1401 may not be updated on said optical 20 media. In a third alternative embodiment of the present invention, an alternative memory card, known as a smart card 1403, is used as the removable data carrying medium. Like CD card 1302 and the memory card 1402, the smart card 1403 is also credit card-sized but, to the contrary of said 25 media 1302, 1402, it is preferably made of flexible plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride or PVC. The smart card 1403 is embedded with a micro module containing a single silicon integrated circuit chip having certain key

( components that allow it to execute instructions supporting the card's functionality. It features a micro processor unit which executes programmed instructions, an input-output controller managing the flow of data between a card acceptance device (the card reader) and the above micro processor, a program memory within which the instructions executed by the micro processor units are permanently stored by the micro module manufacturer. It also features random access memory comparable to memory 403 of processing system 300 and, finally, application memory which is almost always EPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), to within which the final encoded data 801 would be written. Although smart card 1403 has a much smaller data storage capacity than any of media 1302, 1401 and 1402, its cost is negligible compared to said media and it is much more durable whilst featuring the same data updating facility as medium 1 402.

It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the above removable data carrying media are here described as examples only and that the present description is not limited thereto.

Figure 15 20 Figure 15 shows parent 108 becoming aware of the absence of child 109 upon exiting (1501) the shopping mall 101, having previously written encoded data 801 including at least one image 120, 120 of each child 109, 110 respectively onto the removable medium 1302. In the example, parent 108 was distracted together with child 110 by the goods on display in the 25 window of shop 103, whilst child 109 was similarly distracted away from said parent 108 by the goods on display in the window of shop 102 and carefreely walked away, in effect becoming "lost".

i Figure 16 According to the present invention, parent 108 then immediately contacts the security force of mall 101 for assistance and preferably provides 5 the security officer operating security force processing system 207 with the removable data-carrying medium 1302 configured according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 16.

The processing system 207 operated by security officer 1601 preferably comprises standard features, whereby manual input is provided to via a keyboard 1602 and a mouse 1603 to a programmable computer 1604.

Said programmable computer 1604 is preferably equipped with a drive 1605 for receiving optical media, such as media 1302, as well as a drive 1606 for receiving magnetic disks, such as standard floppy disk 1607.

Computer 1604 may also receive program instructions via an appropriate Is CD-ROM 1608 or from disk 1607 and output data may be written thereto.

Moreover, instructions may be transmitted to and received from the internet 202, to which computer 1604 is connected as described in Figure 2. Output data processed by computer 1604 is preferably visualised on a video display unit 1609.

Figure 17 The components of computer 1604 are further detailed in Figure 17.

The system includes a Pentium 4_ central processing unit (CPU) 1701 which fetches and executes instructions and manipulates data via a system 25 bus 1702 providing connectivity with a larger main memory 1703, CD-ROM reader 1605, floppy-disk drive 1606 and other components which will be further detailed below. System bus 1702 is, for instance, a crossbar switch or

other such bus connectivity logic. CPU 1701 is configured with a highspeed cache 1704 comprising between two hundred and fifty-six and five hundred and twelve kilobytes, which stores frequently-accessed instructions and data to reduce fetching operations from larger memory 1703. Memory 1703 comprises between two hundred and fifty-six megabytes and one gigabyte of dynamic randomly accessible memory and stores executable programs which, along with data, are received via said bus 1702 from a hard disk drive 1705. Hard disc drive (HDD) 1705 provides nonvolatile bulk storage of instructions and data.

to A graphics card 1706 receives graphics data from the CPU 1701, along with graphics instructions. Said graphics accelerator 1706 is preferably coupled to the CPU 1701 by means of a direct port 1707, such as the advanced graphics port (AGP) promulgated by the Intel Corporation, the bandwidth of which exceeds the bandwidth of bus 1702. Preferably, the graphics card 1706 includes substantial dedicated graphical processing capabilities, so that the CPU 1701 is not burdened with computationally intensive tasks for which it is not optimised.

InpuVoutput interface 1708 provides standard connectivity to peripherals such as keyboard 1602 and mouse 1603. A Universal Serial no Bus (USB) 1709 is provided as an alternative means of providing connectivity to peripherals such as keyboard 1602 and mouse 1603, whereby said connectivity is improved with a faster bandwidth for user input data transfer. Network card 1710 provides connectivity to the internet 202 by processing a plurality of communication protocols. A sound card 1711 is 25 provided which receives sound data from the CPU 1701 over system bus 1702 along with sound processing instructions, or analogue sound data from the microphone 306 to be digitised therein, in a manner similar to

graphics card 1706. Preferably, the sound card 1711 includes substantial dedicated digital sound processing capabilities, so that the CPU 1701 is not burdened with computationally intensive tasks for which it is not optimised.

The equipment shown in Figure 17 constitutes an inexpensive 5 programmable computer of fairly standard type, such as a programmable computer known to those skilled in the art as an IBM_ PC compatible or an AppleTM Mac. It will be readily apparent that it differs only in immaterial details from the equipment shown in Figure 4, such as the fact that it can only read from, but not write to, the removable data-carrying media to configured according to the present invention.

Figure 18 Actions performed at the programmable computer 1604 upon parent 108 handing over removable medium 1302 to security officer 1601 and said 15 medium 1302 being inserted into optical media drive 1605 in order to read, decode and display/broadcast data representing at least an image of a lost child 109 are summarised in Figure 18.

At step 1801, security officer 1601 preferably inserts the removable card CD as 1302 into the CD reading device 1605, whereby the motor run go instruction set 806 is immediately processed at step 1802 by CPU 1701 in accordance with the principle described in Figure 8.

Thus, the second constructor instruction set 807 is initialised at step 1803 and creates a permanent file folder, in the example a "CSN" directory, on the root 802 of hard disk drive 1705. Upon creating a local copy of 25 directory 801, constructor 807 starts to generate HTML pages therein having decoded data, including at least one image 609, thereon by means of invoking the decoding module 808 to decode the XML script 805 written at

( step 509.

In accordance with the description of the preferred embodiment, said

decoding module 808 interactively processes entities 901 to 910, whereby upon parsing media data-indicative mark-up XML code, it may successfully 5 bind the corresponding media to the corresponding HTML page location at step 1805. Thus, in the example, said decoding module 808 would parse market 906 and bind the image data 609 to HTML page location 1201.

At step 1806, a question is asked as to whether all of the XML entities have been processed. If the question is answered negatively, control is 10 resumed to step 1804, whereby the next entity in XML script 805 is processed, eg decoded. Altematively, the question of step 1806 is answered positively, signifying that all of the HTML pages including decoded data and at least said image data 609 have been generated within the directory created at step 1803, the constructors last task at step 1807 is to call a 15 browser/type application preferably stored in memory 1703 and comparable in functionality to browser 602, to start processing the HTML pages generated between steps 1803 to 1806 at step 1808 for output and display onto VDU 1609.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, said step 1807 so of calling said browser-type application further comprises the step of configuring said browser-type application with dynamically loaded modules, also known as plugins, to process media data such as data 609 to 611, which said browser may not be initially configured through process and wherein said plugins are instruction sets 809 to 811.

Q Upon said browser application displaying said first HTML page 1202 on to said VDU 1609, security officer 1601 may now raise a "mixing dependent" alert at step 1809, with distributing all or a portion of the input

data 608 to 611 decoded at step 1804 and regenerated within said HTML page 1202.

Figure 19 The step 1807 of configuring the browser-type application to process media data stored in folder 803 for binding at the next step 1808 and subsequent broadcasting at step 1809 is further described in Figure 19.

At step 1901, the first media data 609, 610 or 611 is selected for processing, whereby a first question is asked at step 1902 as to whether said to media data is image data 609. If the question of 1902 is answered positively, a first HTML processing condition is stated, whereby if the browser attempts to process said image data 609 at the next step 1808 and returns an error, said browser should load the first specific media processing plugin 809 at step 1903. Control is then forwarded to step 1908.

Alternatively, the question of step 1902 is answered negatively whereby a second question is asked at step 1904 as to whether said media data is videoclip data 610. If the question of 1904 is answered positively, a second HTML processing condition is stated, whereby if the browser attempts to process said videoclip data 610 at the next step 1808 and returns 20 an error, said browser should load the second specific media processing plugin 810 at step 1905. Control is then forwarded to step 1908.

Alternatively, the question of step 1904 is answered negatively whereby a third question is asked at step 1906 as to whether said media data is audio data 611. If the question of 1906 is answered positively, a third z HTML processing condition is stated, whereby if the browser attempts to process said audio data 611 at the next step 1808 and returns an error, said browser should load the third specific media processing plugin 811 at step

1907. Control is then forwarded to step 1908.

Altematively, the question of step 1906 is answered negatively whereby a last question is asked at said step 1908 as to whether all of said media data has been pre-processed for the purpose of initializing said plug ins 809, 810 and 811 according to steps 1903, 1905 and 1907 respectively. If the question at 1908 is answered negatively, control is returned to step 1901.

Altematively, all of the media data stored in folder 803 has been pre processed and may now be processed for binding at respective locations of the constructed HTML pages 1206 and 1210 to 1213.

Figure 20 The contents of main memory 1703 subsequently to completing the binding step 1808 described in Figures 18 and 19 are further detailed in Figure 20.

15 An operating system is shown at 2001 which comprises a reduced set of instructions for CPU 1701, the purpose of which is to provide computer 1604 with basic functionality. Examples of basic functions include for instance access to files stored on hard disk drive 1705 or accessed from CD-ROM drive 1605 or disk drive 1606 and management thereof, network connectivity 20 with network server 203 and the Internet 202, interpretation and processing of the input from keyboard 1602 and mouse 1603. In the example, the operating system is Windows Millennium_ provided by the Microsoft corporation of Redmond, California, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the instructions according to the present invention may be easily 25 adapted to function under different other known operating systems, such as other versions of the Windows operating system, MAC OS-X_ provided by Apple Corporation, IRIX_ provided by Silicon Graphics Inc. or LINUX, which

( is freely distributed An internet browser application is shown at 2002, which processes both hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and extended markup language (XML) coded data packets or other internet-specific formatted data into graphical data for display on VDU 1609. Said browser 2002 is the application called by the constructor 807 according to step 1807. Upon said constructor 807 successfully invoking said browser 2002 for processing constructed HTML pages 1206 and 1210 to 1213 for display on VDU 1609, both said constructor 807 and the decoder 808 will be deleted from memory 1703 as 10 their functionality is no longer required.

Said HTML pages 1206 and 1210 to 1213 are shown along with media data 609 to 611, all of which were transferred from removable data carrying medium 1302 to the "CSN" directory in their respective file folders 804, 803, the respective layout, contents and position thereof having been generated when processing the XML script 805 at step 1804, whereby said pages are subsequently loaded into memory 1703 at step 1808.

Figure 21 According to the present invention, HTML pages 1206 and 1210 to 20 1213 having respective media data 609 to 611 bound thereto may now be broadcast to raise an alert about the lost dependent according at step 1809 whom, in the example, is child 109. Said alert may be raised by means of officer 1601 locally printing any of said HTML pages which include at least one image of child 109 from the set 1202. In a preferred embodiment of the : present invention, however, said broadcasting is made across the networked environment first shown in figure 2 and is described in further detail in Figure 21.

( In the example, Security Officer 1601 operates security force network server 207, which is connected to the internet 202 and via which HTML pages stored in memory 1703 and/or any of the media data stored in folder 803 may be distributed to any addressable location connected thereto. Said! distribution is preferably effected by browser 2002, which is an application best-configured for processing said data according to the network's distribution protocol, TCP/IP. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that many other protocols, such as NetBUI or IPX/SPX for cabled networks, or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) for wireless networks, may perform the 10 above distribution in various network environments, such as Wireless-, Wide Area- or Local-Area-Networks.

In order to rapidly reunite separated dependent child 109 with responsible parent 108, the extent of the alert raised according to the present invention at step 1809 is maximised, wherein the HTML pages 1206 and 5 1210 to 1213 are selectively distributed to said addressable locations. Thus, HTIVIL page 1210 containing only essential alphanumerical data and, most importantly, a photograph of child 109 from the set 1202, is distributed by server 207 to networked server 208 such that said page 1210 may be wirelessly distributed to mobile telephone handsets 209 equipping the other 20 security omcers patrolling shopping mall 101, whereby said security officers may now rapidly identify child 109 by sight.

Preferably, page 1212 containing all of the input data 607, 608 describing child 109 and a photograph of child 109 from the set 1202, is distributed to processing system 210 operated by the police, whereby police 25 officers may now also rapidly identify child 109 by sight, as well as broadcast I said description across their own communication networks (not shown).

Similarly, page 1213 containing all of the input data 608 describing

( child 109, a photograph of child 109 from the set 1202 as well as other media data 611 and 1204, is distributed to processing systems 211, 212 and 213 respectively located at a television broadcasting facility, a radio broadcasting facility and a newspaper office, for the purpose of broadening the alerts if so 5 required. Thus, said television broadcasting facility may broadcast either said photograph 1202 or said videoclip 1204 or both; said radio broadcasting facility may broadcast a description based upon aiphanumerical data 608 as

well as audio data 611 and said newspaper office may publish and print a description based upon alphanumerical data 608 as well as a highresolution

to photograph from set 1202.

In all instances, the benefit of the present invention is clear in that all of the entities involved in raising the alert upon distributing any of pages 1206 and 1210 to 1213 use the same description based upon said input data 608,

wherein said description includes at least one image 1202 and thus efforts in

15 locating child 109 can proceed immediately upon parent 108 handing over media 1302 storing said description data.

Claims

( Claims

1, Apparatus for raising an alert to a situation in which a dependent person has become separated from their caretaker, comprising 5 memory means, processing means, output means and a removable data carrying medium and further comprising the step of receiving said data carrying medium from said caretaker having encoded data thereon representing an image of said separated dependent person; wherein said data carrying medium stores instructions which 10 configure said apparatus to perform the steps of reading and decoding said encoded data by means of said processing means to said memory means in order to generate a viewable image from said image data; and outputting said image to a plurality of locations around said facility by 15 means of said output means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with optical data storage means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with magnetic data storage means.

25 4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said encoded data is further configured to represent a sequence of image frames defining a video sequence.

! 5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said encoded data is further configured to include a sound sample.

5 6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said processing means decodes said encoded data by means of a decoder module. 7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said to plurality of locations are connected by a cable network, a wireless network or a combination thereof.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said output means outputs said viewable image to said plurality of locations by means of s printing or broadcasting said viewable image or sharing the decoded data thereof, or 2 combination thereof.

9. In a facility open to members of the public in which at least one dependent person is escorted by at least one caretaker, a method of raising 20 an alert to a situation in which said dependent has become separated from their respective caretaker, comprising the steps of: receiving a data carding medium from said caretaker having encoded data thereon representing an image of said separated dependent person; reading and decoding said encoded data to generate a viewable 2s image from said image data; and distributing said image to a plurality of locations around said facility.

( 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with optical data storage means.

5 11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with magnetic data storage means.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein said to encoded data is further configured to represent a sequence of image frames defining a video sequence.

13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein said encoded data is further configured to include a sound sample.

14. A method according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein said processing means decodes said encoded data by means of a decoder module. To 15. A method according to any of claims 9 to 14, wherein said plurality of locations are connected by a cable network, a wireless network or a combination thereof.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said output means :s outputs said viewable image to said plurality of locations by means of printing or broadcasting said viewable image or sharing the decoded data thereof, or a combination thereof.

( 17. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer and encoded data thereon representing an image of a dependent person separated from their caretaker, 5 wherein said instructions configure said computer to raise an alert by performing the steps of reading and decoding said encoded data; generating a viewable image from said image data; and outputting said viewable Image to a plurality of locations.

18. A computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with optical data storage means.

19. A computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said encoded data is digits! data and said removable data-Garrying medium is configured with magnetic data storage means.

20. A computer system programmed to raise an alert, comprising 20 memory means, processing means, output means and a removable data carrying medium having encoded data thereon representing an image of a dependent person separated from their caretaker; wherein said data carrying medium stores instructions which program said computer to perform the steps of 25 reading and decoding said encoded data by means of said processing means to said memory means in order to generate a viewable image from said image data; and

outputting said image to a plurality of locations by means of said output means.

21. A computer system programmed according to claim 20, 5 wherein said processing means decodes said encoded data by means of a decoder module.

22. Apparatus for encoding data including image data representing a dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a to removable datacarrying medium, said apparatus comprising memory means, respective image data and alphanumerical data input means, processing means and output means; wherein said memory means store instructions which configure said processing means to perform the steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

5 data and image data by means of said respective image data and alphanumerical data input means; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said database

with an encoder module; and 20 writing said encoded description onto said medium by means of said

output means.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said encoded data includes image data representing a plurality of dependent persons.

24. Apparatus according to claim 22 or claim 23, further comprising audio and video data input means, wherein said instructions

! further configure said processing means to perform the step of generating a description of said persons comprising audio and video data by means of

said audio and video data input means.

5 25. Apparatus according to any of claims 22 to 24, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with optical data storage means.

26. Apparatus according to any of claims 22 to 24, wherein said to encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with magnetic data storage means.

27. Apparatus according to any of claims any of claims 22 to 26, wherein said encoder module processes said database into a script.

28. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said script is an extended Mark-up Language (XML) script.

29. A method of encoding data including image data representing So a dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a removable data carrying medium, said method comprising the steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

data and image data; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; 25 encoding said description by means of processing said database

with an encoder module; and writing said encoded description onto said medium.

( 30. A method according to claim 30, wherein said encoded data includes image data representing a plurality of dependent persons.

5 31. A method according to claim 29 or claim 30, further comprising the step of generating a description of said persons comprising

audio and video data.

32. A method according to any of claims 29 to 31, wherein said 10 encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with optical data storage means.

33. A method according to any of claims 29 to 31, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is s configured with magnetic data storage means.

34. A method according to any of claims 29 to 33, wherein said encoder module processes said database into a script.

So 35. A method according to claim 34, wherein said script is an extended Mark-up Language (XML) script.

36. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer, wherein said instructions configure s said computer to encode and write data representing an image of a dependent person onto a removable data-carrying medium by performing the steps of

( generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

data and image data; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said database

5 with an encoder module; and writing said encoded description onto said medium.

37. A computer-readable medium according to claim 36, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium to is configured with optical data storage means.

38. A computer-readable medium according to 36, wherein said encoded data is digital data and said removable data-carrying medium is configured with magnetic data storage means.

39. A computer system programmed to encode data including image data representing a dependent person and writing said encoded data onto a removable data-carrying medium, said computer system comprising memory means, respective image data and alphanumerical data input 20 means, processing means and output means; wherein said memory means store instructions which program said computer system to perform the steps of generating a description of said person comprising alphanumerical

data and image data by means of said respective image data and z alphanumerical data input means; referencing said image data and alphanumerical data in a database; encoding said description by means of processing said database

with an encoder module; and writing said encoded description onto said medium by means of said

output means.

40. A computer system programmed according to claim 39, wherein said encoded data includes image data representing a plurality of dependent persons.

41. A computer system programmed according to claim 39, 10 further comprising the step of generating a description of said persons

comprising audio and video data.